Just Until College
by Mabelsfables
Summary: The Pines twins return to Oregon for their senior year, but something sinister lurks in the caves beneath Gravity Falls. Will Dipper and Mabel discover something more than monsters in the dark and deep? Dipper x Mabel
1. The Den of Ancient Songs

Dipper wandered through the woods, journal out, following a compass as his twin sister Mabel complained loudly behind him. "Can we take a break now, please? We're never going to find this Den of Ancient Logs if we just keep running around like a chicken with our head cut off," she puffed, plopping down on a large boulder and pulling a bottle of water out of her backpack.

"Den of Ancient Songs," Dipper corrected, looking back at his sister and rolling his eyes as she took her fifth break of the day. "And you're right we won't find it, but that's only because you keep stopping." Before she could take a sip he snatched her bottle out of her hand and took a big swig. She narrowed her eyes at him as he handed it back to her. He snorted, water coming out of his nose as he glanced at her adorably angry expression. She never looked very serious when she was mad.

"That's what you get," she giggled, getting up to continue on as he sputtered and coughed behind her. He gave her an evil look before he ran at her, jumping on top of her as the two began to wrestle, laughing and yelling as they flipped over and over on the ground, before a sudden jolt made them both stop and freeze up as the ground began to shake and give way.

They grabbed onto each other, screaming in terror as they began to fall, sliding and rolling downward. Bouncing over rubble and rock, they landed with a hard thud on a cold, damp surface; Mabel had the wind knocked out of her as she hit the floor hard on her back, her brother landing roughly on top of her. She choked and gasped for a moment gripping his arms in a panic as he struggled to get up.

"Mabel? Mabel! Are you okay?" he asked worriedly staring down into her face. She was trying to breathe slowly, her eyes wide, as he placed his hand on her chest. "Breathe, you're okay, you're fine." She nodded and closed her eyes, air finally filling her lungs, before she slowly leaned up, her breathing finally returning to normal.

She looked up at him and blushed slightly. "Um, you can get your hand off my chest now, bro bro." He make a little yipping sound and leaped back, nodding awkwardly as he stood and helped Mabel to her feet. Dipper rubbed his arm nervously as they looked around. Walking over to the steep slope they had slid down, Mabel made a few attempts to climb up, promptly falling on her butt and sliding back to the bottom each time. "Well that's a no go," she muttered to herself.

Dipper looked over into the dark cavern. He could see from the dim glow of the light above that it was expansive and worked its way deeper into the mountain below. "Mabel, I think this is it! I think this is what I've been searching for!" He moved excitedly toward a soft outcropping in the dirt, a poor excuse for a path.

"Dipper, stop," she made a move to follow her brother then looked back up at the small opening they had fallen through. "We need to find a way out of here."

"We will, just…come on Mabel, just a little more," he pulled his flashlight out of his backpack and moved forward step by step. Mabel hesitated for a moment. She may have been the older of the two, but for the last 17 years she had never failed to follow wherever Dipper led. She sighed and pulled out her own flashlight following her brother deeper into the dark and silent cavern.

They walked along a small pathway, worn by time, but now practically faded and near impossible to see. Even with the bright light from both of their flashlights, Mabel could barely see the pathway ahead of them, trusting in her brother to find the right way. She stared at the back of his head rather than the floor. She had to look up, and for a moment found herself wondering when he had outgrown her.

The only sound in the underground caves were the muffled thuds of their steps hitting the packed dirt as they made their way in silence. Every now and then Dipper would stop, turning his light to the Journal and mutter to himself before continuing on. Mabel didn't speak and wondered if she wasn't there, would he have noticed? Would he have continued on without her? Would he have the courage to walk through these creepy, dark caves alone if she wasn't right beside him? She smiled. They were twins—there would never be a moment she wasn't right beside him. Her legs started to ache. She would even follow him into his dark, hot, oppressive cave just so he could find his stupid song den thing.

They had been walking for what felt like hours before he finally stopped again and turned back to look at her, shinning the light on her for a moment. "Are you okay?" She looked up at him curiously. "You're starting to fall behind, and I don't want to lose you in here. Need a break?" She smiled widely and nodding, plopped herself on the ground right where she stood. Pleased that for once her brother had taken notice of her.

"It's disgustingly hot in here," she muttered, pulling out her water bottle and taking a big gulp before handing it to Dipper. "I mean, you'd think it would be cooler underground." She lifted up her shirt and let is fall back to her damp skin in an attempt to fan herself. Dipper mumbled an agreement and pulled his top off over his head. "Well that's unfair," she sighed falling backward onto the hard ground, which felt even hotter to the touch.

"Hey, girls can wear skirts, at least you get a nice breeze—"

"Dippin' dots, if you want to wear a skirt I'm not going to judge you," she laughed, pulling at her top again to let some air in underneath. She sat up and leaned against a nearby wall which felt marginally cooler than the floor. "I'm going to melt to death down here!" Grabbing the sides of her shirt she pulled her top over her head, peeling the sweat-soaked fabric away from her skin. She gave a huge sigh of relief and dropped her shirt onto her backpack.

Dipper glanced over at her and blushed, clearing his throat, thankful for the cover of darkness. She was still Mabel, but over the last five years she had changed from a cute, little 12-year-old to—well—a girl. He avoided looking at her bra-clad chest, it was just uncomfortable and made him feel—weird. He wished she would have a little restraint around him sometimes. It was like she didn't realize they weren't kids anymore. He watched as she happily dumped water over her head. Okay, maybe she was still kind of a kid. The water dripped down her hair, over her shoulder and down her chest, Dipper following the little droplets with his eyes as they trailed down her skin. His mind started to wander and he swallowed hard. He shook his head. What the hell? That was his sister. His twin sister.

Mabel looked up, misreading the odd look on her brother's face. "Don't worry it's not the last of the water. I'm literally dying in this heat and if we have to find your singing den—"

"Den of Ancient Songs," he corrected as she rolled her eyes and nodded. She stood up, and stuffed her things in her backpack as the two started down the pathway again. They walked in silence, Mabel once again staring at the back of her brother's head. She had a curious feeling in her chest, something about the way he had looked at her earlier nagged at the back of her mind. She felt she would find the answer if she stared into his mop of messy brown hair.

Dipper stopped suddenly and Mabel slammed into the back of him. "What the heck do you think you're—" He slammed his hand to her mouth, trying to listen as she looked up at him angrily.

"I think I hear someth—ugh did you just lick my hand?" he looked down at his palm in disgust and glanced over at her. She was grinning from ear to ear.

"Next time don't mess with Mab—" The ground suddenly began to shake and shutter, as Dipper grabbed his sister's arm and yelled at her to run. Their shaky flashlights barely lit the way as they bolted through the caves running away from the loud rumbling and crashing sounds behind them. They ran as fast as they could, the hot air in the caves making their lungs burn as sweat dripped down them, but they didn't stop. Finally Mabel screamed, flying forward as she fell past her brother, her flashlight clattering to the floor and her knees hitting the ground.

The rumbling seemed to have quieted and Dipper quickly knelt down to help her up. "Are you okay? I'm sorry I brought you down here, we need to get out of here right now. Mabel?" He continued to pull her up, but she kept slipping back down.

"I think…I think I did something to my ankle," Mabel whispered, biting her lip as she looked up at her brother. "I can't put any weight on it." He nodded and pulled her arm around his shoulder, helping to lift her up from the ground. They fumbled along for a few minutes, snatching up her flashlight as they went, until Mabel was practically whimpering in pain.

Dipper looked over at her with a worried look on his face. "Mabel, are you okay?" he asked looking down at her ankle in the light. She nodded and urged him on; Dipper tried not to think about how swollen it was starting to look. Soon the path began to slope steadily upward, Dipper inwardly rejoicing that they were making their way out of the caves and could get Mabel to a hospital. The incline made for a slow and hard climb, Mabel trying her best not to show any pain, though Dipper could see right through her.

"Okay, stop, stop, stop," he spoke quietly, helping her sit on a nearby rock. "I'm going to keep going and go get help. You can't climb out of here on that ankle and don't pretend you're not in pain, I can tell."

She stared up at him with a worried look on her face. "You're leaving me? Alone? Here?!"

Dipper bit his lip and looked around. He didn't want to leave her here, but she needed help. He squat down in front of her and looked up at her for a moment. She was trying so hard not to look scared and upset. He almost laughed aloud; he knew his sister much too well. "No, I'm sorry. Of course I'm not going to leave you alone here." He looked around, handing her a flashlight. "Give me one minute."

He took the other one and continued walking down the path as Mabel sat alone on a rock in the middle of the dark cave. She waited until she couldn't see Dipper's flashlight and started counting. "One, two, three, four…"

By 56, Dipper's flashlight came back into view and Mabel inwardly gave a sigh of relief. She wasn't just worried for herself—they had no idea what was waiting for them in the cavern up ahead. "Okay, it doesn't look like it gets too steep so this should work. He turned his back to Mabel and kneeled down in front of her. "Climb on."

"W-what?"

"Climb on, come on I'm going to carry you out of here." Mabel stared at his back. He hadn't given her a piggy back ride since middle school. His back was broader now, bigger and stronger too, but…

"I'm not as light as I used to be," she muttered, pulling herself forward and wrapping her legs around his waist. He easily lifted her up, bouncing a bit to tuck his hands under her thighs to hold her tight. She put her arms around his neck and rest her head against his bare back. It was hot and sticky, but she didn't care. It smelled like him and she instantly felt calmer. He marched on as she clung to his shoulders, and while he stumbled a couple times, Mabel always felt safe.

Finally, the cave began to cool and they could smell the fresh air coming from somewhere above them. Mabel bounced excitedly on his back and laughed, as Dipper hastily tried to calm her down. Their sweat was giving him a slippery grip and the last thing he needed was her flying off so close to escape. "Hold on tight, Mabel, I don't want to drop you." She nodded against his back pulling herself in closer, pressing herself against him, her thighs sliding along his hands. He could feel her soft breath on his neck, her warm skin against his hands and her breasts pressed against his back. Dipper smiled and subconsciously rubbed his fingers in a soft motion along her thighs.

Mabel held him tight, comforted by the gentle movement along her legs as she rest her head on his back. We'll always be together. Her body was sore and the warmth of Dipper was soothing. She closed her eyes and trusted her brother to get her home safely.


	2. On the First Floor

She made a little grumbling sound as the consistent beep of a nearby machine pulled her from sleep. "Dipper?" she sat up and looked around. She was in a hospital room hooked up to monitoring machine, her ankle wrapped in bandages and her great uncle sleeping in a nearby chair.

"Grunkle Stan?" she whispered, making a feeble attempt to wake him up, as Dipper walked through the door.

"Oh, you're up, good! Here, you're dehydrated," he handed her a Pitt Cola as he sat on the edge of her hospital bed. "Dehydration and a sprained ankle. You'll be fine, they just didn't want to let you out of here until you woke up." He ran his hand down her shin and lightly touched her ankle. "They said it's a pretty bad sprain, you could have broken it. Why didn't you tell me it hurt that bad?"

Mabel looked strangely at her ankle, held softly in Dipper's fingers. "I…I don't know. I didn't want you to worry," she mumbled.

He nodded and opened the soda can she had just been holding in her hands. "Drink," he popped in a straw and held it up to her lips. She looked up at him and took a sip, coughing a bit as she tried to swallow. "More," he urged.

"I'm not a little kid, you know," she took the can from his grasp, pulled out the straw and took a big swig. They turned to stare at their grunkle who was snorting and grumbling in his sleep.

"Grunkle Stan?" Dipper went over and gave the old man a couple good pokes, before he opened his eyes with a start.

"Oh, Mabel sweetie, you're awake," he walked over and gave her a little pat on the check before reeling on Dipper. "You two are in big trouble, mostly you," he jabbed the teenager in the chest. "What were you thinking taking your sister out on one of your crazy adventures, what if she had gotten seriously hurt?"

"Grunkle Stan it was an accident, I didn't mean to—"

"Yeah, you never mean to, kid, but you wanted to go off on some adventure and now your sister is in the hospital," he gestured at Mabel who was shaking her hands in protest.

"It's not his fault Grunkle Stan, I went with him and—"

"What am I going to tell your parents? You finally convinced them to let you move here and before summer even ends their daughter is maimed?"

"I'm not _maimed_, it's just a—"

"Come on, we're going home. We can't stay here, it'll cost too much. Dipper, grab your sister's things and help her out to the car."

The twins stayed silent for the remainder of the evening as they checked Mabel out of the hospital and made their way home. Dipper had to make up the bedroom for Mabel on the first floor so she wouldn't have to trudge up and down the stairs with a "bum leg" as Grunkle Stan had so lovingly put it. Mabel sat in Grunkle Ford's old bedroom watching her brother make the bed and put some of her clothes in the drawers. She felt awful.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you in trouble, bro bro," she whispered as he hung up a couple of sweaters. He looked at her for a moment then sighed, plopping himself down on her freshly-made bed. The two stared across the room at each other and he finally smiled.

"It doesn't matter. As long as you're okay. Besides, now I get my own room! Well, for a few weeks anyway."

She nodded and smiled softly. Pushing her leg out she let out a long, exasperated sigh. "It kind of sucks I have to start off at a new school with this weighing me down though. Think I'll make the cheer team?" she smiled.

He broke out into laughter. "Yeah for sure, and hey guys love a damsel in distress, right? Just drop your books in front of the quarterback, bat your lashes and you're in." They laughed together, as he got up and walked over to give her a kiss on the forehead. "I really am sorry. I promise it's not that bad though. Hey, tomorrow if you want, we can get some glitter paint and decorate your ankle brace with unicorns or something."

"Dipper I'm not 12…"

He stared at her for a moment before she broke into a soft smile. "Yeah, I guess unicorns would be good."

Dipper nodded and walked out as Mabel crawled into bed. She tried to get comfortable, but having her leg all strapped up was not an ideal way to sleep. Staring at the ceiling she let her mind wander. It wandered all the way upstairs to where she knew her twin was asleep in his bed. Her stomach lurched and she felt a little sick and anxious, her mind flashing back to earlier. That warm fuzzy feeling she had when she was on his back was just the adrenaline, right? She bit her lip nervously. What hell was wrong with her? She tossed and turned and couldn't get Dipper out of her head. His body felt warm and strong beneath her. She remembered the way his fingertips felt as they brushed across her skin. She shook her head. What kind of pain meds had they given her?

Dipper lay on his side staring at Mabel's empty bed. It felt weird. They had spent plenty of nights apart, but this felt—not quite right. He got up and walked over to her side of the room, sitting gently on her comforter, as he grabbed her pillow and hugged it. He remembered the look on her face when he had suggested he leave to go get help, how scared and frightened she had seemed, and the look of relief on her face when he had stayed. That smile that she only gave to him. She knew he would always take care of her, and he had. He had carried her out of that cave and out to safety. Her warm body against his back, her soft skin under his hands—he took a deep breath and could smell the soft strawberry scent on Mabel's pillow. He smiled for a moment and then stopped, looking down at the pillow, panic stricken. What the hell was he doing?

The hours ticked by until she finally heard creaking on the stairwell. A moment later a gentle knock was heard on her door and Dipper poked his head inside. "Hey are you asleep?"

"No," she whispered, rolling over to look at him.

"Can't sleep?"

"Not really," she muttered, motioning to her leg.

"It was feeling kind of lonely up there, can I bunk down here with you?"

She nodded, sliding over and pulling back the blankets to make room for him. He hesitated for a moment before climbing in next to her and curling up into a little ball. "I really am sorry about today," he whispered, playing nervously with the ends of her hair that fell over his pillow.

"Dipper you saved me from the cave! It wasn't anyone's fault; it was dark and we were running. That's not a safe combination," she pulled her hair from him and he looked up at her. "Seriously it's not your fault, stop blaming yourself. If it wasn't for you I would probably still be stuck down there."

Dipper laughed. "No, you wouldn't, I wouldn't have left you down there."

"Exactly," she smiled. "You're like my hero!" She spoke dramatically throwing her arms back like a princess trapped in a tower. Dipper snickered. "Seriously though, just ignore Grunkle Stan. It's not your fault." He nodded and the two fell silent. The two looked at each other for a minute before Dipper felt a weird flop in his stomach; she was so close.

"Well, goodnight," he whispered, giving her a kiss on the forehead, he turned around with his back to her and stared into the darkness of the room. They were twins. They were twins. Mabel stared at his back as her breath caught in her chest. For a moment she felt like she couldn't breathe and shifted uncomfortably in bed. Hesitating, she moved closer to Dipper and curled up against his back like they did when they were younger. She didn't care how weird it seemed to her adolescent mind—she wanted to snuggle up to his warmth.

Their last weeks of summer were spent mostly indoors, with a few piggy back rides to the car so Dipper could take Mabel on an ice cream run. They decorated her ankle brace and prepped for their final year of high school with colorful supplies, new binders, and custom-designed backpacks courtesy of Mabel.

"You're getting pretty good," Wendy commented as she watched Mabel work. She leaned against the wall, sipping a Pitt Cola, on one of her many breaks from working in the Mystery Shack.

"You think?" Mabel asked, mixing some colors together to make just the right shade of blue for Dipper's bag.

"Yeah, you ever think about going to art school, dude?

Mabel looked up at her in surprise. "You think I'm good enough for art school?"

Wendy nodded and took another sip. "Yeah, I mean, have you thought about where you want to go to college? I'm sure Dipper is majoring in math or science or something nerdy, right? Find your own niche in the world, Mabel. I think art is your thing, dude." She walked over and took a closer look at Mabel's work. "Besides this is on a backpack, have you tried anything on canvas?" Mabel shook her head. "I think this is awesome."

"Thanks," Mabel spoke softly as she went back to her work. Wendy watched her for a few minutes before dumping her can and heading back to the gift shop cash register. Dipper sat at the desk flipping his phone idly in his hand, a picture of him and Mabel with goofy faces on his lock screen.

"Dude, your sister is crazy talented," Wendy spoke, breaking Dipper from his daze.

"Huh?"

"Mabel. She's gotten really good. I told her she should try art school."

Dipper looked at her oddly for a moment before he broke into laughter. "She would never go to art school, that's crazy." He continued to laugh walking past Wendy, as she gave him a weird look.

"Dude, why? She's insanely talented. Did you see the stuff she was painting on your backpack? She's come a long way from glitter and a hot glue gun."

"Yeah, but…Mabel wouldn't go off to a different university…we're going together," he said, as his laughter slowly stopped. Wendy gave him a curious look. "We can major in different things at the same college. Why would we go to different schools?"

"I'm just saying she's talented and should keep her options open. I know you guys are like, attached at the hip or whatever, but even though you guys are twins you're not the same person. You're very different people. She's artistic, you're more…scientific. Just, don't make her follow you around forever, dude." She took a seat behind the cash register and opened a magazine, propping her feet up on the desk. Dipper slowly walked away and into the kitchen where Mabel was putting the finishing touches on his bag.

"You like?" she stood up presenting him with his now colorful and completely unique backpack. He nodded silently. "Yay! Now, go pop it outside to finish drying and it'll be set by dinnertime." She started to gather her paints and brushes, hobbling over to the sink to wash and clean up her tools. Dipper watched her for a moment—the way her fingers moved through the bristles, working out the paint, the way she would toss her hair back over her shoulders every time it fell into the water, the way she blew a puff of air up at her bangs to get them out of her eyes. He stared at her face. She looked happy, her cheeks flecked with blue paint and a smudge of grey by her chin. She kicked back her hair again and sighed in annoyance.

Dipper set down his bag and walked over to her, pulling her hair back over her shoulders, letting her curly hair drag through his fingers as he began to braid it. "All aboard the braid train! Thanks, bro bro!" Dipper only nodded at the back of her head and finished plaiting her hair before he grabbed his newly-decorated backpack and walked out.

Mabel started down at the sink, letting the water wash over her hands as she stared at the color slowly making its way down the drain. She could feel her skin growing hot even though she was covered in goosebumps from Dipper playing with her hair. She bit her lip and looked up at the door he had just disappeared through. She began scrubbing her brushes hard and shook her head violently. This is insane, ridiculous, absolutely not cool at all.


	3. You're My Sister

**You're My Sister**

Mabel stared at the school, fiddling with her backpack while Dipper stared at her.

"We've got to go in you know." 

"I know, and I know we wanted to come here for our senior year, but there's just something about starting a new school that makes me all—" Mabel wiggled her body around and flailed her arms. "Blargh."

Dipper nodded and poked her in the side. "Hey, but at least I'll be there to be all blargh with you?" She nodded and opened the car door, pulling herself out. They walked to class together, Mabel limping more than walking, and took a seat in the back of their homeroom. Word had clearly gotten out that the Pines twins would be starting school here this year because they got more than a few high fives, and even more suspicious looks. 

By the end of the day they were exhausted. Mabel was barely able to walk to her classes and Dipper was carrying her by the time they got back to the parking lot. "I told you to bring your crutches," he sighed, as she slid from his back and he helped her into the car.

"They're lame, I can't bring those things to school! Can't you just keep carrying me around?" she complained as he shut the door in her face. He made a grumbling noise and made his way to the driver's side, climbing in as Mabel continued talking. "It's not even that bad, it's getting better, I just need like a week or two of piggyback rides—"

"Mabel, I can't give you piggyback rides everywhere all day long. Just suck it up."

She nodded and silently slid down in her seat. He had snapped. Just a little, but he never snapped at her. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering why on earth he was finding her so ridiculously aggravating. She bit her lip and gave a little pout. Her lips were pink and wet, and Dipper found himself wondering for a moment if her lips tasted like strawberries too. He stared for a second longer than he should have and she looked up at him, cocking her head to the side curiously.

"Sorry I got mad," he whispered, starting the ignition. "I'll carry you around as long as you want." 

Her face broke into a big smile and she threw her arms around him, pressing her cheek to his. "You are the best, bro bro! I promise it won't be any more than like two weeks. Maybe a week? I don't know, I think I just need to use it more." She tried to give it a little wiggle and winced.

"Okay, okay, don't injure it again, it's fine. We'll go on a walk after dinner to try to get you up and about again, okay?" She nodded as they drove home. She clung to his arm the entire way, singing Christmas carols at the top of her voice.

After dinner the two wandered outside, slowly making their way toward the forest, intent on giving Mabel a good opportunity to stretch her legs and practice walking on her ankle. After a couple minutes she needed a break, and although they were only a few feet into the woods, Dipper helped her onto a log and sat down next to her.

"It's pretty out here when you're not looking for a monster or running from something that's trying to kill you," she whispered. The sun was low in the sky, sending a golden blanket of light over everything in the forest. It was warm and peaceful, and the two just sat there, looking into the sunset. Mabel leaned her head on Dipper's shoulder and gave a happy little sigh. He glanced at her for a moment before turning his attention back to the setting sun.

"Wendy said she thought you should go to art school." 

"What?"

"Wendy said your work was good enough for art school. I mean she's right, your stuff is pretty amazing. I do love my new backpack," he said as Mabel lifted her head off his shoulder and gave him a confused look. 

"I thought we were going to school together. I don't want to go to a different college than you." 

"I know but, maybe you should think about it? You know try something on your own, see where your art takes you?" 

She looked sad. "You don't want us to go together? I thought that's why we moved out here, we were going to go to college in Oregon, together."

"We can, I just—" he sighed and stood up, pacing back and forth in front of her. "I don't want to hold you back from something you really want to do, just because you feel like you have to do it with me. It's okay if we…branch out a little."

"No, it's not," she said quietly, her head down as she poked at the ground with her good leg. "We're going together. I'm going with you." She spoke with an air of finality as if the discussion was over. 

He nodded down at her and hesitated for a moment before he sat beside her. She looked at him as if she was mad and hurt for him even suggesting it. "Sorry," he mumbled and she gave him a small nod. He looked over at her. Her face was flushed, her eyes were bright and wet, and her lips, her deliciously soft lips… "Mabel…close your eyes for a second," he murmured looking over at her. 

"Why?" she looked at him suspiciously as her smile cracked into a giant grin. 

"I just want to see something, just…for a second."

She nodded and complied, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath and waited. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest and her stomach flipping and flopping. Why was she so nervous? What was she expecting? 

Dipper stared at her face. She was beautiful. They were twins, but sometimes, he didn't see it. There were similarities sure, but her skin was so soft, her lips were so pouty and pink, and her lashes fluttered softly as she took a deep breath, waiting. Waiting for him. He could feel his breath hitch in his throat. He didn't know what he was thinking or what he was doing. He reached out for just a moment and hesitated before curling his fingers and tucking a loose strand of hair behind Mabel's ear. 

"Dipper?" 

He leaned in, watching her face; her cheeks had flushed the second he touched her and he felt a nervous energy rise from the pit of his stomach. He tilted his head bringing his lips close to hers, he could almost feel her breath on his skin. He stopped. He pulled back and stood up as she sat quietly waiting, her hands in her lap, her breathing soft and nervous. Did she know? 

"Come on let's go home," he spoke and her eyes fluttered open. "I was going to put a beetle on your head, but I thought that would be too mean." He laughed as she gave him a horrified look. "We should get home before it gets dark."

xxxxx

Dipper sat on his bed, hugging Mabel's pillow as he frantically rocked back and forth. "She's your sister. _Your sister_," he hissed aloud to the empty room. "What the hell?" He ran his fingers through his hair and angrily ruffled it up in frustration. He remembered the way her thighs had felt under his hand in the cave, and the water running down her skin, the smile she gave him when he agreed to carry her around all week and how innocently trusting she had been when he told her to close her eyes. He held his breath. She trusted him—she just so blindly trusted him. He pulled the pillow in close to his chest and squeezed. He felt like he would explode from nervous energy. 

Stopping for a minute he looked up and over toward her side of the room. She trusted everyone though—did she trust other guys so easily? His brain was flooded with images of Mabel and all those guys she dated, all of them taking advantage of his naïve, sweet, innocent sister. He hated all of her ex boyfriends, but now he felt himself wondering… Did she? Had she? He felt like he wanted to scream. She was _his_ sister. She belonged to him. He let go of the pillow and fell back onto his bed, trying to come up with any excuse not to go downstairs and see her. 

He got up and slowly walked out of the door and down the stairs. "This is a bad idea. This is a bad idea," he muttered to himself. He stopped halfway down and walked back up to the top landing. This was ridiculous. He turned back to his room and stopped before walking back down the stairs again. He stood in front of Mabel's door and gave a soft knock before opening it. He walked in and stood next to her bed. She was asleep. He stared at her for a moment before kneeling beside her and watching her face.

She stirred after a moment and slowly opened her eyes. "Dipper?" she asked softly, yawning as she pulled back the blankets and invited him in. "Couldn't sleep?" He only nodded and climbed into bed with her, the two curled up on their sides staring at each other. "What's wrong? Do you feel okay? You look sick," she asked, as he only shook his head in reply. She brought her face close to his and pressed their foreheads together. "Well at least you don't feel hot." She pulled away and looked at him oddly. "Dipper, something's wrong, what is it?" 

He reached out and grabbed her hand, and began playing with her fingers as he tried to find the words. After a moment, he shook his head and let go of her hand. She nodded and just watched him. They stared at each other for a long moment before Mabel smiled. "Well, I'm going to try to get some sleep," she whispered, turning her back to her brother. He nodded and after a moment, moved closer to her, curling himself around her warm body. He pressed his face into her hair and softly inhaled. Her warmth was sending tingles down his body and all he wanted to do was taste her. He leaned up over her for a moment, and looked down at her face.

"Mabel?" 

"Yeah, bro bro?" she turned her head looking back at him, and in one quick movement, he leaned down pressing his lips to hers. She froze for a moment before she relaxed under him, and he reached down to touch her cheek as he brushed his tongue along hers. 

A second later he pulled away instantly and looked down at her in horror. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he moved away, and she sat up, turning to look at him. "I'm so sorry, I don't know why…I'm sorry. Oh my God…what have I done? I'm so sorry." She reached out for him as he jumped up and backed into the room. "You're my sister. You're my fucking sister," he wasn't talking to her anymore. "I'm so sorry, what the hell am I doing?" He ran out of the room and back up the stairs, Mabel unable to follow as she sat in the bed her arm still outstretched, staring at the place where her brother had just been standing.


End file.
